Week 3: Cars. What was your first car? Describe the make, model and color, but also any memories you have of the vehicle. You can also expand on this topic and describe the car(s) your parents drove and any childhood memories attached to it.

I’m cheating a little because I think these old cars are more interesting than most modern ones. I do currently drive a cute British car and I’ll post a pic at the end. These are some more photos from Great Granny’s album from the late 1920’s – this is Granny on a trip to Yorkshire in 1928 in a car made in Scotland by ladies for ladies🙂

A closer look at the front of the car during some roadside maintenance shows the Galloway badge underneath the driver’s AA membership badge.

The company was very unusual in the world of car making in that it was largely run and staffed by women. For a while the cars were advertised as “a car made by ladies for others of their sex”. The factory had originally been built as a wartime aero engine plant and T C Pullinger, the manager of Arrol-Johnston, was persuaded by his daughter, Dorothée Pullinger, to keep the factory open to provide local employment. She was made a director of the new enterprise and set up training courses and apprenticeships specifically for local women. The apprenticeships were to last for three rather than the usual five years as the girls were thought to be better at attending and quicker learners than boys.

Helloooooo! We’re over here in the bracken!

The factory was near the River Dee and a dam was built fitted with water turbines to provide power, supplemented by a steam engine. It also had two tennis courts on the roof. The cars were sturdy and straight forward and a one model policy was pursued with, at first, the 10/20, which was heavily influenced by the Fiat 501. It was not, however, a good time to launch a new car and only a few hundred were made before the Tongland factory was forced to close in 1923 and production moved to the parent works at Heathall which had plenty of spare capacity. A second, larger, Galloway model, the 12, essentially an Arrol-Johnston, replaced the 10/20 in 1925 and remained in production until Arrol-Johnston itself closed in 1928 and Galloway Motors was formally wound up. Dorothée went on to run a laundry in Croydon. Source: full article at Wikipedia.

I say, Pater, this joy riding lark is an absolute hoot!

I’m not sure if this is the 2 seater tourer Galloway, but it’s a fine looking motor! And I’m not sure about this one either, so if anyone knows, please drop me a line!

Additional info from Rick Jones at Old Classic Car “I think the first three all show the Galloway (note the distinctive 3-piece windscreen), 4 and 5 are a Morris, the final one looks very much like a Standard going by the shape of the radiator top.” Thanks Rick!

And no one, but NO ONE, would ever have got away with this disgraceful behaviour in our more recent family – Granny you should be ashamed!

shocking behaviour!

And here’s the photo I promised of my baby – the most temperamental, unreliable, expensive-to-run car I have ever had, or am likely to have. Also the cutest and the most fun, and made in Britain!

Jo

Hop over to Geneabloggers to see what everyone else is saying about Week 3 – Cars

Oh Jo, more great photos. I tell you, your grandmother sure had a life…I wish she left behind a diary. And, now, look at her grand-daughter’s car. I almost fell off my chair. Love the color, my goodness how neat. And I love your house?? Thanks for so many good pictures.

Hi Barbara – thanks for your comment – the car is a prized possession for all its faults, but the photo was taken in front of a fancy hotel in Ireland🙂 My house is much more modest, but houses here in the UK are much smaller than in the US. I wish Granny had left a diary too – not least because it would have given me clues as to who’s who in the photos. I will work it out in the end, once I have the whole collection together and know a few names – I’ve also got a surviving Auntie who might be able to help, and my Dad’s cousins could also add names to faces if I can contact them.

I love all of your car pictures. I’d never heard of a car made for ladies, by ladies before! I love the pic of them sitting on the roof of the car. Do you know what the occasion was? They look all dressed up.🙂

In the same year the company introduced a 3023 12 15 model of more modern appearance this however still used an engine. There was also a version of the dogcart this was an uncouth 16hp with the centre cylinder being of greater bore than the outer two. This was the year that formerly of and joined Arrol-Johnston he swept out the old range in favour of the new 15 9hp of 2835cc.